ileen

I have a new US passport and now need to get a new visa to travel to India some time in 2018. Looked at the website for the visa application on Cox and King site. It is so very confusing.
Would like to find out if other travelers have had easy time filling the form and what advice they can give me.
It was so simple to get the visa last time through the Consulate, but this new website is pretty ridiculous and so very confusing.
I think my problem is filling it on line since I really like to fill it on paper and mailing it the old-fashioned way. But now everything has to be done on-line.
I will have to mail it to the San Francisco office. But I have a chance to travel there for a meeting sometime in the next few weeks, so wondering if it is better to go there in person or mailing is preferable. I still have time as I am not quite sure when I will travel.
Right now I want to get the visa so I have it when I finalize my travel days. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

CaliforniaLady

Are you looking for a single entry visa? If so, I just got mine July 17. Here is the direct link that you should use:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

It's fairly straightforward, the only glitch being the uploading of your passport cover page, and a passport style picture. I had my younger son upload them for me, so it helps to have a millennial around to help.

I got the visa approved in about a day. They notified me via email.

CaliforniaLady

Also, the single entry visa in only good for a few months, so don't get it too soon.

Bluekito

This is the first time I have used the eVisa facility and I found the uploading of my passport and visa photo files within the allowed file size was quite tricky. When I eventually had that sorted my eVisa was granted very promptly and I printed the form.
BUT, tonight I went back to the website and rechecked the visa status and found the version I had printed initially was different to the version I have printed tonight. Now my eVisa has my visa photo on it, the first one I printed back in July didn't
We are leaving in for India in 5 days and I can only imagine the hold-ups at immigration had we turned up with the first and incomplete eVisa version.

CaliforniaLady, does the Evisa you've printed include your photo?

CaliforniaLady

Bluekito - Oh my goodness, I had just printed out the email only, as the instructions say, " Please carry a copy of the ETA in this email at the time of Travel." Now I just went back to the website, and printed out the actual Visa. Thank you so much.

Bluekito

That's good you have the correct one now, CaliforniaLady. When it comes to paperwork and Indian officials I try to have every eventuality covered which is why I'll be taking both versions of the visa, just in case!

ileen, thanks for raising the subject. I've always found the Indian High Commission here in New Zealand to be very efficient when issuing visas the old way and so, like you, I was hesitant to use the eVisa service.

ileen

Thanks for your experiences, tips and advice.
I am actually planning to get a 10-year visa so that I can travel few times and see different areas of the country I love.
In the past when form were filled with paper and pen, life was so much easier. Now with on-line filling of forms, there seems to be a problem. Scanning photos or paying the fee on-line is additional headache for me.
With your help and advice, I will try again and also see help from some younger computer experts.
Thanks for your help and happy travels.